it's too late now......

What do you do when you completely change the decor of a room, and then when it's finished, you think it might have been a mistake?

A year ago, in April '08, I blogged about the simple makeover I did to the living space that's mine in the home I share with Son & Family (see here). I'm really not very good with change at all. I don't usually even like re-arranging furniture! But two things have happened since then to make me decide to change things up once again.....

1.) I was given a newer sofa, a brown sofa, that didn't match the rest of my decor and I have been unable to find anywhere, online or anywhere else, the right color and style slipcover!

2.) I travelled to Martha's Vineyard (see here) and fell in love with the East Coast/Cape Cod/ Hamptons/beachy-style look, with lots of white and aqua, sea grass and stones and driftwood.

I was working with a very limited budget so I mostly re-purposed, re-covered, and re-painted what I already had....This is how I transformed jewel-toned watercolors and black wrought iron bed frame and room accents into my version of the Martha's Vineyard beach cottage look:

Colors: Aqua, brown, white

decor: beach stones, bamboo, sea grass, shells, etc.

Walls were already the right color, "Spaqua", from the last makeover

I spent a lot of time looking for exactly the right king-size flat sheets so I could sew a duvet for my existing comforter. I was so excited to find EXACTLY what I was looking for: these are Martha Stewart sheets, regular $70.00 each!.....and I got them on clearance for...(drumroll, please)....$11.99!!! ...SCORE!! talk about a bargain!

I whipped up the duvet and covered all my existing pillows with new fabrics:

before

after

Bed frame and lamp were painted white

before

after

All the frames on my picture wall went from black to white

(not really sure I like this as much....the black seemed to show off the photos better. Ideally I'd like to have all the frames be light wood, sort of drift-woodish....maybe when I win the lottery?)


before

after

Took down the white lace curtains and white blinds; sewed new white gauze curtains and put up bamboo roll-up blinds. (The lighting in my room is difficult to work with this time of year. Everything, especially the colors, look much better than these photos would suggest)

before

after

Accent pillows for the sofa and "seagrass" on the nightstand

It feels very cool and calm and peaceful in here. It's exactly the look I was going for, but I sort of miss all my watercolors....I'm sure I'll adjust to it....but what if I don't? What do I do then? Has anyone out there ever experienced anything like this? Decorators remorse? If I had unlimited funds it would be no problem, of course, but now what?

Maid Service anyone?

I was doing a little weekend house cleaning this morning and since I was doing the chore I absolutely hate the most, it occured to me how funny it is that we all have our most hated chores and those we don't mind so much, and how much they vary from person to person....

I HATE VACUUMING THE STAIRS!!#&!#

We have dark carpeting (and 2 pre-schoolers) and it doesn't take long for the stairs to get covered with stuff. I actually sort of enjoy vacuuming the rest of the house, which is every other day with this carpet, but the stairs are evil!! They get done MAYBE once a month. In between I use a sticky lint roller when I can't stand the lint and blonde hairs that really show up on dark plum carpeting. Is there some kind of magic vacuum or appliance that would make this any better for me? Any one have any suggestions?



I ENJOY DOING LAUNDRY (really!)







I think it's the organizational aspect, the sorting, time planning (catch the dryer before cycle ends....I can't handle wrinkles!), folding, hanging........When my laundry is done I really feel like I've made a grand accomplishment!



I HATE EMPTYING THE DISHWASHER!

I don't mind washing dishes by hand or loading the dirty dishes, but....well, I have no explanation for this one.

I LOOK FORWARD TO CHANGING THE BED!

This one's obvious....wouldn't everyone have fresh, clean sheets every night if they could? This one also feeds into my liking to do laundry, a double treat for me!

This carries over into yardwork as well...I LOVE mowing the lawn, but I hate everything else about gardening and yardwork (don't even get me started on pulling weeds!)

I've been asked many times how house cleaning works in our 3 generation household. How did you decide who does what? Who cooks? Who cleans the kitchen or mops or dusts? The only explanation I can give is that we've never even really talked about it....if someone sees something that needs taking care of, you just do it. It's that simple. Everything seems to get done without any problems. It's been working for us for 5 years now, probably because we all seem to have different likes and dislikes so it all evens out! (except I have a feeling Daughter-in-Law hates vacuuming the stairs as much as I do!!)

I'm going to add a Gardner and a Maid to my wish list for when I win the lottery...but I'd probably just end up being one of those people who thinks they need to clean up before the maid comes!

Christmas Candy 2008

Every year I save 2 vacation days to use for my Christmas candy-making marathon (see here). It usually takes me 3 days, working in 3-4 hour increments (or as long as my feet and back can stand it) to get it finished and packaged. Every year I look forward to this tradition and by the time I'm finished I always say " I'm NOT doing this again next year!".....but I always do......

CHRISTMAS CANDY 2008

clockwise from the top:

Peanut Butter Bonbons
Almond Roca Truffles
Black & White Coconut Bonbons
Sugar & Spice Pecans
White Apricot Walnut Fudge
English Toffee
Oreo Peppermint Patties
center: Potato Chip Haystacks

I tuck a little menu in the package (I always wish SEE'S would do that!)

15 plates of candy ready to deliver to co-workers and friends. (and plenty of everything left over for my household to munch on and any holiday guests throughout the rest of the holiday season)

And I'm NOT doing this again next year!!!

oh, of course I will.......

tell me about your Traditions....

It's that time of year once again, the time of year overflowing with traditions. I do so love hearing and reading about the traditions of other families. Like snowflakes, no two family's traditions are the same. Even within a larger family group, the smaller family units tend to take the traditions they grew up with and tweak them to make their own version.
Now that I've discovered the world of Blogging, I've found an endless source of so many variations of every kind of Family Holiday Tradition that it boggles my mind!

Let me share a few of my own favorites with you.......


Parker Family Christmas Traditions

CANDY PLATES
Every Christmas for the last 28 years I've made plates of candy to give as gifts to friends, neighbors, and co-workers. I now also send them along to my adult children's co-workers and in-laws. I usually make 7-10 different kinds, arrange them on a sturdy holiday paper plate, wrap in colored plastic wrap and tie it all up with ribbon.
I always make peanut butter bonbons, coconut bonbons, apricot truffles, english toffee, sugared pecans and fudge of some kind, and then add a few new recipes, too. Last year I tried cookies-n-cream fudge. I have made in the past: pralines, cashew brittle, mint fudge, mocha truffles, butterscotch fudge, peppermint truffles.

One year I decided to not do this (for some reason I don't remember) and my family almost disowned me!!

TAMALES
During the week between Christmas and New Year, my household invites family and friends for a day of tamale making. Both of my sons, my daughter, and I each make a different filling. We have the masa dough already prepared and everyone rolls up their sleeves and helps shape the tamales.
Because this can be a day-long affair, we have a table laid out with all kinds of munchies: soups, homemade pizza, dips and spreads, and cookies. When the day is over and the tamales are finished, everyone gets to take home an assortment of different kind of tamales.

We've made BBQ pork, spicy beef, artichoke/red pepper, shrimp/sweet corn, chicken/chile/cheese, and even apricot pineapple!

MIMI'S CHRISTMAS SLEEPOVER
Now that all my grandchildren live nearby, I've started a new tradition. This year will be the second annual MIMI'S CHRISTMAS SLEEPOVER.
The weekend before Christmas, all 5 grandkids come over (while their parents go out together for a fun evening by themselves!) Each child puts on the matching p.j.s that I've made them and we take a group photo that I will use for my (late!)Christmas card. I give each of them their gifts from me. I get to enjoy them opening the gifts away from all the chaos of Christmas morning!

We have dinner, usually everyone's favorite, Tostadas!

We play Christmas Bingo, taking turns being the caller.
We make snacks: Jello popcorn, chocolate dipped pretzels, english muffin pizzas.

Sleeping bags are spread out over the family room and we watch a Holiday movie while eating our snacks. Last year we watched 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas". This year I think it's going to be "Eloise at Christmastime".

If you've blogged about any of your traditions, tell me in a comment so I can visit your blog. I'd love to read about yours....or if not, just tell me about yours in a comment.

After all, Traditions are what family is all about, don't you think?

a new Love Affair

Dear Mr. Frigidaire Convection Oven:

I know that we just met and I hardly know you, but after cooking Thanksgiving dinner together and getting to know your warming drawer that also bakes, and your 5 burners

and all your convection-y wonderfulness, I need to get a few things off my chest.......

I really believe that we are soulmates.....

I truly feel that we were meant to be together.......

and even though it might be too soon in our relationship for me to say it.....

I THINK I LOVE YOU!!

Family Thanksgiving #1: Thursday

Thanksgiving Day at Daughter's house:

New matching aprons


Thanksgiving Bingo



Turkey and Ham (we're a divided family)

Plenty of sides

Pumpkin Trifle for dessert

5 adults

5 kids

With so much to be thankful for, the only thing that could have made this day any better would have been to have Jordy here too.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! Wishing you all full stomachs and full hearts.

Home Sweet Home

We moved back home on Thursday, 18 days after our "flood". We spent a full 2 weeks living at the Marriott.

This has been SUCH a learning experience!! After hearing horror stories from many, many people about similar situations, we were prepared to do battle with our insurance company and expected resistance at every turn......and OH, THE IRONY!!! While we were busy "keeping an eye" on our insurance company so they wouldn't mistreat us, the construction company doing all the repair work was price gouging us and cheating us at every turn!! And who alerted us to this initially? Our insurance adjuster! Our insurance company, Wawaneesa, couldn't have been more helpful and generous.........

So, we fired the construction company and moved back home to take care of the rest ourselves. With the money we have left, before the contractor could steal it all, we are getting new carpet, vinyl flooring, and some new appliances (hello, new double oven!) AND getting the old mold damage repaired. That was the ONLY thing insurance wouldn't cover, but we're making it work anyway!

Here's what we're living with for the next few weeks:

We'll just do most of our living upstairs until our home is as good as new....actually, it will be EVEN BETTER THAN BEFORE!!

I'm just really glad to be back home and back to my old routine..........

Where are my Ruby Slippers?

Last night was the 7th night we've spent at the Marriott, ("courtesy" of our insurance company) just 5 miles from home......


Under other, more pleasant, planned for circumstances, having a mini-suite at the Marriott all to myself (Son & family have one next door) that I'm not paying for would be fabulous!! But last night, after having been to the house and seeing what shape it's still in after 12 days, when the door to my suite closed behind me, I finally had a meltdown.....real tears and everything. And I am not a cryer, believe me! But I just want to go home! The tears only lasted a few minutes.....I got a grip, counted all my MANY blessings, and went out to dinner with my family....AGAIN! Yes, even going out to dinner is getting old!


WOW! Listen to me complain about hotel suites and dinner out!#@&*!!# Am I having a pity party or what? O.K. enough of that. (Just a minute while I re-read my previous post to myself....)

Trying to keep 3 and 4 yr.old busy and happy during all this hasn't been easy. D-I-L has enough of a challenge keeping up with these two busy kids in our own home with their own things! I think she just may lose her mind if this drags on much longer! Thank goodness for pre-school and friends and family nearby for long daily visits......hotel mini-suites and pre-schoolers are not made for each other!!!

The repairing and restoration part of all this should be completed today and this afternoon we meet with all those involved to pick out new carpet and flooring. The thing making this take so long was the discovery of mold in the wall between a bedroom and the garage, next to the water heater, apparently left there for us by the previous owners 4 years ago......

So......now starts weekend number two in "exile". Daughter has kindly let me set up my sewing in a corner of her living room. I only brought the most basic of projects/supplies but have made quite a few of my favorite flannel blankets this week. This whole situation is causing me to have quite a creative crisis!! I feel like the people in the movie "Alien" where the little aliens come bursting out of their chests!! I have so many apron and sewing project ideas building up inside of me with no outlet right now, like they're just waiting to burst out of my chest! ....O.K.....I know that was kind of a weird and creepy analogy, but I NEED MY OWN SPACE BACK!!...I NEED TO COOK IN MY OWN KITCHEN! ....I need to get rid of all these "aliens" building up inside of me ASAP!!

If only I had a pair of Ruby Slippers so I could click my heels right now......There's no place like home!..........

Thanks for letting me vent. You're a good listener.........I feel much better now!!

EXTREME HOME MAKEOVER... whether you want it or not!

I had no idea how involved water damage repair and restoration can be. This has really turned out to be a nightmare!!

This is the culprit:

Yes, this little reverse osmosis unit that came with our house when we bought it 4 1/2 years ago, something WE HAVE NEVER USED! NOT ONCE!!

A little hose the size of a pencil came loose and we came home to find 3 inches of water covering our entire downstairs.....and WE WERE ONLY GONE 7 HOURS!! The contractor helping with all of this says that these units and the same size hose behind refrigerators that connect to the ice maker are the most common reason for household flooding. We removed the unit the very next day and capped off the spigot with a little thingy that cost $1.19.

Yep! 30 seconds of effort and $1.19 and we could have avoided all of this trauma. Please everyone! Take 5 minutes and check all your water filters and ice makers and make sure the hoses are firmly attached!

We had to move out of our house right away. All the water was extracted. Fans, heaters, and de-humidifiers were brought in.

The bottom 12 inches of drywall around the entire perimeter of our bottom floor was cut away.

Carpets and linoleum have been removed.

Insurance adjusters and contractors are trying to work things out to OUR benefit (HA!)

The estimate for the whole thing (not counting the old mold damage discovered during all of this that the insurance will NOT cover) ..........FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS!....FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS!!#*&!#%!!

We spent the first three nights at Daughters house. She has plenty of room for all 5 of us and all the cousins thought it was a great adventure. As of last night, our insurance has booked us into 2 suites at the new Marriott in town for the next week (" one week at a time"). The time estimate on this "project" is 3-4 weeks! (you do the math on that one!)

I am a creature of habit. I like my routine. I like my own room. I like my own bed. I like my own space. This is all such a HUGE inconvenience...... and yet I know that's all it is. An inconvenience.

When I think of all the Katrina victims who will never have their homes back, will never have their own beds, their own space back. Or the recent Hurricane just last week in Texas......those people have lost their homes and belongings forever. Believe me, I don't BEGIN to compare this situation with what those poor people are going through. I've been praying for all those affected every day since this happened. Nothing like your own little inconvenience to really realize there is always someone worse off than you....

Thank You Lord for the following things:

1. This flood was clean, fresh water.

2. None of our furniture or belongings were damaged.

3. It didn't happen UPSTAIRS. Just think how much worse both floors would have been.....

4. It didn't happen 3 weeks ago when were gone for a whole week on vacation.

5. Daughter lives 2 miles away in a big house with plenty of room for all of us.

6. We'll end up with all new carpet, flooring, and possibly kitchen cabinets (?)

7. Son is taking care of all of the details and dealing with all those concerned and I don't have to . (just one more reason to feel proud of one of my children!)

I have my sewing machine and several projects with me, I'm surrounded by family and in a few weeks I'll be back in my own bed in my own space, which should be even better than before, if all goes well.......

Just so you know, I'm really not complaining.....really I'm not! (see #1-#7 above...)